Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-11-04
An UNITED AND LOYAL PEOPLE.
A Fntsrnal Fesling---The Stars and Stripes
Waved Proudly in the Brsezss---Men'
Wept but Their Tears Were Not
TreasOn---GOrdOn'S Grandly
Patriotic Speech.

publican press have had so much to say. |
Mr.. Clifford located in Nashville at the
close of the war, and has been a member of
two of the lar gest wholesale firms in the
city, McAllister, Clifford & Co. At present
he is general agent for the Tennessee and
Southern Kentucky r. R., and Of several
large manufacturing concerns. No citizen
is more highly respected. Mr.. Clifford is
pronounced Republican, and an ex-union
soldier.
He is a member OF Geo. II. Thomas Post
No. 1G. A. Il. He has just returned from
Georgia, and in an interview last afternoon
he said:
"I have 10 desire TO parade my name In
print nor, seek to be otficious. | trust
that those who know ME do not regard me
az a sensation seeker or maker, but | feel
it my duty as an American citizen to
PROTEST AGAINST THE WRONG
which is being done the people of the
South, and more particularly Of Georgia,
in the publications which are being made
by leading journals of my party In regard
1 to the conduct of x-Contederates at the
Macon reunion and the conduct OF Mr.
Davis. Every man who knows me knows
that was Union soldier, and have al
ways been hrm Republican in politics.
IL is true that the alleged incidents which
are made the basis of this assault by
Northern and Eastern press, occurred IN
Georgia, but the assault has widened un'
til il is sought to reflect upon the loyalty
of the whole South.
Il WAS in Macon nearly week iron
Feisnr.y;',ht.i" n. SatnTaaEo m05n iHRAtfAi
Some of the boys who used to wear ,h,
gray asked me why | did not wear M,
Grand Army badge, saying they woult
like
~ SEE OUR BADGE
along side of theirs A pressing invitation
was extended to me and other Union sol
diers to drop in line with the ex-Confeder
stes, and march side by side with them
l have never i'll my life seen city go gen.
orally and handsomely decorated AS Macon
was. There were a few Confederate flags
fiuttering, bnt these were principally in
front OF saloons, and underneath them
were placards stating the saloon was Con.
federate Headquarters" tue device eyi.
IDENTIFY being sharp dodge by sal0oukeep.
ers to attract custom. | saw lew Con-
federate tiag1 on private buildings, but
wish 70 say that | did not see a single
Confederate flag on house which was not
surrounded by
SCORES OF NATIONAL FLAGS
The national colOrs were flying in all di-
rectiona. ] never saw them 90 Handsomely
and numeruRsly displayed before In my
lie. The occasion was a reunion of ex-
Contederates to meet their old President
before he died, and was not surprised 10
find these Confederate elnblems. But !
say as Union soldier, Jealous Of the
cause / fought for, that those embIems
were there, could plainly Zee, merely ~
tender trihnte to the past, and the mag.
nibcent decorations with national colors,
the thousands of national flags, and the
whole conduct Of the people, eyinced a
loyalty TO the Union which no man could
possibly
AYOlp RECOGEIeIEG.
y Yves standing within ten feet of Mr..
Davis on the front porch OF Col Johnson's
residence when the meeting between him
and the Confederate veterans, about which
so much Misrepresentation has been made, |
occurred. saw the chair brought out and
the old maa take his seat in it. His wife |
and daughters were about him. Mr.. Da- |
Wis was very infirm. One could see al |
glance that he was much excited and IN !
weak that his family and friends feared |
the effect OF the trying ordeal on him.
When the head Of the column eutered |
the yard, and advancing 10 the railing Of
the porch begged to shake hands with him,
his wife and daughters took hold of his |
arms and begged him to keep his seat, re-
mindiDg him of
HIS FEEBLE CONDITION.
They were evidently alarmed asout him
and viewed his excitement with undis.
gulsed tsspidation. While they were i'm
plorng him to be calm, and remain where
he wa, the flag was pushed forward 10 thu
railing, Mrs. Davis leaned forward and
pluckirg shred from its torn and hat
tered folds, fell hack IN her chair, and put
ting her hands to her face began TO weep.
The scene was such that no man could
have resisted its pathos The old man.
who had presided over lost cause, totter.
ing on the verge OF the grave. Coz ,be last
lime ne knew he YEA In the presence Of
those wsl sad once followed him and
we're now bidding him an earthly farewell.
Not an eye in that vast assemblage was
Try. Men wePt yes; but their
TBARs WERE NOT pIsLOYALTY
70 the Union, but forced from them by the
'adness Of scene Union soldiers who were }
here wept, and are not ashamed Of their
.mQtign. "i
Il was in this e3ciisnent that flag was
,usAsa Isfward to Mr. Davis, rising with
IN effort, be convulsively touched its folds.
md pressed them TO his lips, then fell back
n his chair exhausted.
Then arose eriea ior Governor Gordon. I
te Etspren 70 the front and delivered :
peech which was as loyal to the Union an ,
ny John Sherman ever made When he
eserred to the perfect Union Of the sections l
O-day, rEdeT one fag, the cheering was :
ouder and more spontaneous by far, even
ban that which greeted the incident Of the
az. No man could have looked upon that
and heard their shouts, and IN
onestly entertained = ,a -....
THE FAIsfEsT IDEA
hat these people are disloysl 70 sss union. e
he flag was NOT ;6n 70 pieces By men 1
ager y pseserre the relics Of emblem, Ia
7hich Jefferson Davis had kissed, as the \
.epublican press charge 1t was quietly 9
erne away, and not q si1rad wastaken :
ON if, except that by Mrs. Diyis I r
Talked among thousands of ex-Confeder-'